Multi Stage Non-Boolean Search Engine

1. In a computer network system an improved method running on a server of said network system for performing document searches comprising the steps of: (a) initiating a search in response to a user's query from an input device, said query including a multiplicity of key words, with the words being searched one at a time through a word-indexed database; (b) eliminating duplicate documents from the results received from said search and sending these results to a smaller more relevant database; (c) initiating a secondary search of every document in said smaller more relevant database associated with the first of the multiplicity of key words, by means of searching the remaining key words through each document and noting in which document each key word appears, without regard to frequency of appearance; resulting in all combinations of key words in any document being identified and each document assigned a number indicating the number of key word appearances; (d) calculating a document relevancy factor as the percentage of key words appearing in each document as the number of key words found in the document disregarding word appearance frequency, divided by the number of key words employed in the search, times one hundred; (e) calculating a ranking number for each document that is the resultant of the total cumulative word count for all key words in the document multiplied by the document's relevancy factor, with higher numbers taking precedence over lower numbers; (f) repeating steps (a) through (e) above for the remaining words of said query; and, (g) sending the results back to the user.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the step of simultaneously performing steps (a) through (e) continuously as the server processes step (a) for the next succeeding word of the multiplicity of key words of the query.

3. The method of claim 1 further including in response to pre-programming the step of capping the maximum number of documents resulting from any single word search of the initial database.

4. The method of claim 1 further including the step of performing duplicate document elimination after step (c) and before step (d) in lieu of performing duplicate document elimination in step (a) above.

5. The method of claim 1 in response to pre-programming the step of setting a document relevancy factor below which documents will be excluded from further processing.

6. The method of claim 1 in response to pre-programming the step of allowing a user to set a document relevancy factor below which documents will be excluded from further processing.

7. The method of claim 1 in response to pre-programming the step of allowing a user to designate preferred key word combinations and having documents containing said combinations segregated during performance of the steps of the search method, subsequently subjecting said documents to the same method steps as all other documents, and separately presenting this group of documents to the user.

8. A system comprising: (a) server connected to a network, the server including: (a) at least one processor; and, (b) a memory operatively coupled to said at least one processor, the memory storing program instructions that when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: (i) initiate a search of word-indexed database, one word at a time; (ii) pass the results of the first-word search through a duplicate document elimination module in order to eliminate duplicate documents; (iii) store the results of the first word search in a smaller more relevant database organized in said memory of said server; (iv) search every document in said smaller more relevant database associated with the first of the multiplicity of key words, by means of searching the remaining key words through each document and noting in which document each key word appears, without regard to frequency of appearance; resulting in all combinations of key words in any document being identified and each document assigned a number indicating the number of key word appearances; (v) calculate a document relevancy factor as the percentage of key words appearing in each document as the number of key words found in the document disregarding word appearance frequency, divided by the number of key words employed in the search, time one hundred; (vi) calculate a ranking number for each document that is the resultant of the total cumulative word count for all key words in the document multiplied by the documents relevancy factor, with higher numbers taking precedence over lower numbers; (vii) repeat steps (i) through (vi) for the remaining words of said query; and, (viii) sending these results back to the user.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein said processor simultaneously performing steps (vii) continuously as the server processes step (i) for the next succeeding word of the multiplicity of key words of the query.

10. The system of claim 8 further including in response to pre-programming the step of capping the maximum number of documents resulting from a single word search of the initial database.

11. The system of claim 8 further including the step of performing duplicate document elimination after step (iv) and before step (v) in lieu of performing duplicate document elimination in step (ii) above.

12. The system of claim 8 further including in response to pre-programming, the step of designating a document relevancy factor below which documents will be excluded from further processing.

13. The system of claim 8 in response to pre-programming, the step of allowing a user to designate a document relevancy factor below which documents will be excluded from further processing.

14. The system of claim 8 in response to pre-programming, the step of allowing a user to designate preferred key word combinations and having documents containing said combinations segregated during performance of the steps of the search method, subsequently subjecting said documents to the same method steps as all other documents, and separately presenting this group of documents to the user.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising: a plurality of computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to: (a) receive a search query from a user, (b) initiate a search of a word-indexed database, one word at a time and receive information identifying documents selected in response to said search query; (c) pass the results of the first-word search through a duplicate document elimination module in order to eliminate duplicate documents; (d) store the results of the first word search in a smaller more relevant database organized in said memory of said server; (e) search every document in said smaller more relevant database associated with the first of the multiplicity of key words, by means of searching the remaining key words through each document and noting in which document each key word appears, without regard to frequency of appearance; resulting in all combinations of key words in any document being identified and each document assigned a number indicating the number of key word appearances; (f) calculate a document relevancy factor as the percentage of key words appearing in each document as the number of key words found in the document disregarding word appearance frequency, divided by the number of key words employed in the search, times one hundred; (g) calculate a ranking number for each document that is the resultant of the total cumulative word count for all key words in the document multiplied by the document's relevancy factor, with higher numbers taking precedence over lower numbers; (h) repeat (a) through (g) for the remaining words of said query; and, (i) send the results back to the user.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 wherein said processor simultaneously performing steps (c) through (g) as the server processes step (b) for the next succeeding word of the multiplicity of key words of the query.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 further including in response to pre-programming the step of capping the maximum number of documents resulting from a single word search of the initial database.

18. The non transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 further including the step of performing duplicate document elimination after step (e) and before step (f) in lieu of performing duplicate document elimination in step (c) above.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium in response to pre-programming further including the step of designating a document relevancy factor below which documents will be excluded from further processing.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 further including the step of allowing the user to designate a document relevancy factor below which documents will be excluded from further processing.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15 in response to pre-programming, the step of allowing a user to designate preferred key word combinations and having documents containing said combinations segregated during performance of the steps of the search method, subsequently subjecting said documents to the same method steps as all other documents, and separately presenting this group of documents to the user.